Disposable rain cape



INVENTORS DE L ,JR.8| AVILA JOSEPH A By JACK J. H

ATTORN EY United States Patent DISPOSABLE RAIN CAPE Joseph A. De Luca, Jr., Wilmington, and Jack J Haviland, Bellefonte, Del.

Application December 2, 1952, Serial No. 323,658

1 Claim. (Cl. 2-87) The present invention relates generally to outer garments'for protection against rain or the like and it relates more particularly to rain-capes or the like which are inexpensive and intended to be disposedof after but a single use.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved type of disposable outer garment forprotection against rain or the like. Another object of the present invention is to provide .a rain-cape or rain-coat or the like, which can be manufactured and sold at a price sufliciently low to permit the garment to be used but onceandthereafter discarded. A further object of the present invention is to provide adisposable rain-cape or the like of material sufiiciently lightin weight, and flexible, topermit it to be folded into a square no larger than ahandkerchief for ease in selling and carrying, which at the same time is fully waterproof and fireproof, to give adequate protection against rain or the like without incurring the risk of fire. normally attendant upon thewearing of thin filmy garments. Still another object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive rain-cape or the like whichcan be folded into azstficiently small package to enable it to be sold in automatic vending machines. A still further object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive, disposable, compactly-packaged rain-cape or the like, intended for but asingle wearing, which can be conveniently sold in drug stores, cigar stores, super-markets, theatre and hotel lobbies, atwnews stands, by concessionaires at all outdoor-sporting'events, amusement parks, picnic grounds and vacationresorts, so that one can be readily purchased in the event of a sudden and unexpected shower or the like. An additional object of this invention is to provide a' light-weighudisposable rain-cape or the like, which .is formed of vsufiiciently thin, yet comparatively strong material to enable it to be folded into an extremely small square and to be sold as such, without the need for an outer wrapper. Yet another object of the present invention is to providean inexpensive, disposable rain-cape or the like, formed of extremely thin gauge, synthetic resin, sheet material, the edges and/ or seams of which can be formed by heat-sealing operations without the need for stitching, and in which fold-lines can be readily formed by heat-molding '10 facilitate'the manufacture of the garment and also-its "folding into a compact, easily bendable form.

Other objects and advantages of the presentinvention are apparent in the following detailed" description, appended claim and accompanying drawings.

In recognition of the need for protection against-sudden showers and the undesirability of carrying around .conventionalrelatively heavy and bulky rain-coats, various suggestions have heretofore been made to providev an inexpensive, disposable outer garment for this purpose, which can be compactly packaged and conveniently sold and carried around for emergency use. However, noneof these previously suggested constructions-hasproven satisfactory or enjoyed any appreciable degree of: public acceptance, because of the shortcomings inherent therein.

f 2 Thiis,'rain-coats of .waxed or .oiled paper, as heretofore suggested, :have' proven stiff and uncomfortable to wear, have been too-easilytorn, have cracked and leaked, especially at fold lines,'have been diflicult to fabricate and to fold into compact form, and, worst of all, have been highly inflammable, tending to flare up violently when ignited by an accidental cigarette spark or the like, to cause serious injury and even death to the wearer. Other materials heretofore employed have been too expensive and diflicult to fabricate and have likewise had theserious disadvantage of inflammability.

Accordingly, the present invention contemplates a novel disposable rain-cape construction employing an inexpensive, thin film or sheet-of synthetic resin which is absolutely fireproof, completely waterproof, having a soft feel or hand and the ability todrape comfortably, like woven textile material, which is capable of being hemmed and seamed by heat-sealing, without the need for stitching, which can .be heat-molded into fold-lines to facilitate fabrication and subsequent folding into an extremely compact square or the like, which has sufficient strength to enable it to be self-packaged (without any outside Wrapper)- if desired-and to withstand the stresses of normal usage, and which does not crack, peel or otherwise deteriorate even upon prolonged storage, so that the purchaser can be assured of the effectiveness of a garment even-though obtained many months or even years before the first occasion for its use arises.

We have found that a light-weight, low cost, easily foldable, fireproof rain-cape having all the other desirable qualities set forth above can be fabricated most advantageously of polythene synthetic resin film, in a manner to be described hereinbelow, although a number of other waterproof and fireproof synthetic resins, in sheet or film form, can also be employed, as for example, Mylar polyester film.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the accompanying drawings forms thereof which are presently preferred, although it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities illustrated.

"Referring to the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout:

Figure l is a front elevational view of a disposable rain-cape forming one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the appearance of the heat-sealed shoulder seam construction.

Figure 3 is.a cross-sectional view taken generally along the line 3'3 of Fig. 1, showing the appearance of the heat-sealedneckline hem and alsoshowing the-manner in which the tie-strings are secured and reinforced.

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the sheet orfilm blank as it appears after the neckline and shoulderseam edges and. the fold-lines have been formed, but before heat-sealing of the shoulderseams to form the cape.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view like that of Fig. 2, but showing another, form of shoulder seam construction.

Figure v6tis a cross-sectional view like those of Figs. 2 and 5, but showing still another form of shoulder seam construction.

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the rain-cape of Fig. 1 asit appears when folded into a compact Vendible package.

In Fig. l, we have shown a light-weight, inexpensive, disposable rain-cape constructed inaccordance with the present invention, andformed, for the most part, of a single sheet of polythene, or other suitable synthetic resin film,:which is fireproof and waterproof and which has.:the-. other desirable properties described herein.

. As indicated in Fig. 4, the rain-cape is formed from a.

generally rectangular blank (which in turn may be cut from a continuous roll of suitable width, as for example 63. inches), which. is'divided by spaced, longitudinally extending fold-lines and llinto a back panel 12 and two peripherally-disposed .front. panels: 13 and 14; the

, combined transverse dimension of thetwo. front panels being slightly greater thanthe transverse dimension of the rear panel so'that there isa slight overlap of the front panels in the final product, as shownin Fig. l.

Polythene and the. other synthetic resins preferred by us arethermoplastic and capable of being molded and of cohering under the action of heat. Thus, the fold lines are preferably, though not necessarily, permanently formed in the blank, by running the blank (or the continuous roll from which the blank is cut) through conventional heated'scoring or'folding dies, in a manner well known in the art.

One end of the blank is shaped to provide shoulder seams and a neck opening, in a manner to be hereinafter described. Thus, arcuate edges 15 and 16 extend inward and upward from the uppermost ends of the vertical edges 17 and 18 of the panels 13 and'14, respectively. From the inner ends of the arcuate edges 15 and 16 (which are "located about half-way in from the vertical edges 17 and 18 respectively) generally straight edges 19 and 20 extend downwardly and inwardly and terminate at the upper ends of the fold-lines 10 and 11 respectively.

Straight edges 21 and 22 extend upwardly and inwardly of the back panel 12 from the upper ends of the fold-lines 10 and 11, respectively. The angle of inclination of the edges 21 and 22 is the same as that of the edges 19 and 20, so that folding of the panel 13 along the fold-line 10 results in juxtaposition of the edges 19 and 21, while folding of the panel 14 along the fold-line 11 results in juxtaposition of theedges 20 and 22;

Extending generally horizontally intermediate the innermost and uppermost ends-of the edges 21 and 22 is an edge 22a which is intended to be folded down along the generally horizontal fold-line 23 to form the rear portion of the neck opening of the cape, after being heatsealed in the manner shown in Fig. 3 so as to eliminate sharp cut edges at the neck as well as to provide added strength along a'zone of appreciable stress. After folding of the panels 13 and 14 in the manner described'above, the juxtaposed straight edges 19 and 21, and 20 and 22 are turned downward and heat-sealed (by use of heated dies or rollers or the like, as is Well known in the art) to form shoulder seams, in the manner shown in Fig. 2. Of course, the shoulder seams can be formed in other ways, as for example by turning up and heat sealing the juxtaposed edges in the manner shown in Fig. 5, or by simply overlapping and heat-sealing the juxtaposed edges in the manner shown in Fig. 6.

It can be seen that the folding .of the blank and the heat-sealing of the shoulder seams, as described above, are the only fabricating steps required to convert the blank into the rain-cape.

It is desirable, however, to provide fastening means at the front edges of the cape (i. e. adjacent the overlapped vertical edges 17 and 18, to keep the cape closed so as to keep rain from coming in.

We may provide, for this purpose, the simplest and least expensive type of fastening, namely two pairs of tie strings 24 secured adjacent the edges 17 and'18 of the front panels 13 and 14; one pair being disposed just below the neck opening (which is formed by the foldline 23 and the edges 15 and 16) and the other pair being disposed slightly more than halfway down the cape (which may be of the order of 48 inches in length so as to protect the wearer from the shoulders down to about the knees, although of course it can be made longer or shorter, as desired). j I We prefer-to construct the tie strings 24 of the same material '(i. e. polythene or other suitable synthetic resin) as forms the body of the rain-cape, and to afiix them by heat sealing or cohesion. The tie strings may be of the same sheet material or film-forming the body of the raincape, but doubled over longitudinally and heat-sealed to give a two-ply structure of greater strength. Circular reinforcing tabs (also of the same polythene or other synthetic resin film forming the body of the cape) may be disposed on the inner and outer faces of the panels 13 and 14 at the points of afiixation of the tie strings (the outer tab overlying the afiixed end of the tie string) and may be heat-sealed to the body of the rain-cape during the same operation as secures the tie strings thereto. This provides zones of triple thickness (as shown in Fig. 3) and considerably greater strength where this is needed most, thereby ensuring against accidental pulling loose of the tie strings.

It is apparent that the formation of the blank, and the neck and shoulder seam edges, the formation'of the foldlines 10, 11 and 23, the heat-sealing of the neckline and shoulder seams, and the formation and afiixation of the tie. strings and reinforcing-tabs, can all be done quickly and easily and with a minimum of hand operations, to permit the garment to be fabricated inexpensively.

As mentioned above, polythene lends itself especially well to the fabrication ofthe disposable rain-cape of the present invention. Thus, its relatively great strength and tear-resistance, its ability to be rolled into extremely thin sheets'having high uniformity of gauge and freedom from pin-holes, permit it to be employed in thicknesses of the order of 0.0015; This, in turn, makes it possible to construct a rain-cape roomy enough to protect even the largest man :wearing an overcoat, and, at the same time, capable of being packaged, by folding, into a size no larger than those customarily employed for. individuallylwrapped pocket handkerchiefs. Thus, the packaged rain-cape can be carried about conveniently in a pocket or hand-bag-,.in the glove compartment of an automobile, etc., to' keep it readily accessible, at all times, in the event of unexpected rain.

Furthermore, as also pointed above, this extremely compact packaging of the rain-cape makes the product particularly well suited to dispensing from automatic vending machines; thereby greatly increasing sales potentialities- Additionally, polythene has the advantages of being fireproof, completely waterproof, chemically inert, readily heat-scalable (to facilitate formation of seams), non-toxic (so that it is safe for childrens garments as well) and low in cost.

By'using-polythen'e or other synthetic resins having similar properties, it is possible to construct'an efiective rain-cape in'the manner described above'at a cost sufficiently low to permit the product to be sold at retail for a nominal price, of the order of 25 cents. 'Thus the average purchaser will be perfectly willing to buy a halfdozen or so of the rain-capes and to keep them on hand for emergencies. Indeed, we contemplate the selling of as many, as a half-dozen or even more individual capes in a single, still-compact package to increase sales.

As mentioned. above, it is possible to fold the rain-cape into a'n extremely compact package for ease in vending and carrying. In'Fig. 7, there is shown a rain-cape constructed in accordance :with'the present invention, as it appears when folded .into a package of relatively thin, flat, generally rectangular configuration corresponding generally in size, to a folded pocket handkerchief. Thus, the folded package of Fig. 7 may measure less than 4" by 6 and may be less than A in thickness. Whilelit is possible to 'encase'the folded rain-cape in a conventional wrapper of paper or cellophane or like material in making up a vendible package, this is not essential, because the nature 'of the synthetic resin material of'which' th'erain-cape is constructed (especially its Thus, in Fig. 7, the folded rain-cape is shown as simply being held in compactly-folded condition by a tightly-encircling band 26, the ends of which are adhesively secured, with one of the ends extending slightly beyond the secured zone to form a pull-tab 27, which enables the band to be removed quickly by a simple pulling operation.

It is also possible to provide the underside of the band 26 with a coating of pressure-sensitive adhesive, of a type well known in the art, which affords a strippable adhesion of the band to the synthetic resin of the raincape. This provides more secure positioning of the band in its proper place around the folded rain-cape package, yet permits it to be pulled off cleanly and without any residual adhesive remaining on the synthetic resin.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, therefore, the embodiments described above should be considered merely as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being made to the appended claim rather than to the foregoing description, as indiclaim rather than to the foregoing description, as indicative of the scope of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent, the following:

A disposable raincape or the like comprising a generally integral body formed of extremely thin lightweight waterproof and fireproof heat-scalable synthetic resin film, said body having left and right shoulder seams formed by juxtaposed heat-sealed cut edges and also having a lapel-less and collar-less neck opening formed along its rear edge by a doubled-over inwardly-folded heat-sealed cut edge extending between the inner ends of the shoulder seams, said body having overlapped vertical free edges extending along its front, and a plurality of vertically-spaced pairs of fastening members mounted adjacent said free edges, said fastening members comprising tie-strings formed of the same synthetic resin as the body and heat-sealed to the body at one end, a reinforcing tab of the same synthetic resin heat-sealed to the body in overlying relation to the attached end of each tie-string, said body having two permanently heat-molded fold-lines extending vertically downward from the outer ends. of the shoulder seams and providing a fiat generally two-ply structure including a back panel and left and right front panels, the synthetic resin film having the ability to drape, generally like woven fabric, and being easily foldable, whereby the flat two-ply structure can be folded again and again to provide an extremely compact multi-ply package capable of being conveniently carried about for emergency use.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,236,689 Doubles -1; Aug. 14, 1917 1,639,185 Johnson et al. Aug. 16, 1927 1,807,519 Flather May 26, 1931 2,075,238 Stephens et al. Mar. 30, 1937 2,119,300 Spanel May 31, 1938 2,212,770 Foster Aug. 27, 1940 2,213,797 Claussner Sept. 3, 1940 2,442,749 Callahan et al. June 8, 1948 2,576,826 Dobbs et al Nov. 27, 1951 

